2008 North Queensland Cowboys season

The 2008 North Queensland Cowboys season was the 14th season in the club's history. Coached by Graham Murray and captained by Johnathan Thurston, they competed in the National Rugby League's 2008 Telstra Premiership. Part-way through the season, Murray was replaced by Ian Millward, and ultimately the Cowboys finished 15th (out of 16). Aaron Payne was named the club's player of the year.^[1]

Season Ladder

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	B	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Melbourne	24	17	0	7	2	584	282	+302	38
2	Manly-Warringah	24	17	0	7	2	645	355	+290	38
3	Cronulla	24	17	0	7	2	451	384	+67	38
4	Sydney Roosters	24	15	0	9	2	511	446	+65	34
5	Brisbane	24	14	1	9	2	560	452	+108	33
6	Canberra	24	13	0	11	2	640	527	+113	30
7	St. George Illawarra	24	13	0	11	2	489	378	+111	30
8	New Zealand	24	13	0	11	2	502	567	-65	30
9	Newcastle	24	12	0	12	2	516	486	+30	28
10	Wests Tigers	24	11	0	13	2	528	560	-32	26
11	Parramatta	24	11	0	13	2	501	547	-46	26
12	Penrith	24	10	1	13	2	504	611	-107	25
13	Gold Coast	24	10	0	14	2	476	586	-110	24
14	South Sydney	24	8	0	16	2	453	666	-213	20
15	North Queensland	24	5	0	19	2	474	638	-164	14
16	Bulldogs	24	5	0	19	2	433	782	-349	14

Squad

Although other players may play for the North Queensland Cowboys during the year, all NRL clubs are required to select a top 25 First Grade squad at the beginning of the season.

No. Position Player SR Daniel Backo SR Matthew Bartlett SR Scott Bolton FB Matthew Bowen FE Travis Burns PR Ray Cashmere HK David Faiumu CE Ben Farrar SR Sione Faumuina SR Sam Faust PR John Frith CE Ashley Graham CE Ben Harris CE Mark Henry WG Keiron Lander SR Jacob Lillyman

No. Position Player FE Jackson Nicolau SR Luke O'Donnell HK Aaron Payne (vc) WG Anthony Perkins PR Matthew Scott CE Justin Smith SR Steve Southern HB Johnathan Thurston (c) PR Shane Tronc PR Ben Vaeau HK Anthony Watts SR Carl Webb PR Dayne Weston CE John Williams CE Ty Williams

Players Not In The Initial Squad But Have Played In 2008

• Daniel Abraham
• Sam Bowie
• Brandon Boor
• Greg Byrnes
• George Gatis
• Obe Geia
• Luke Harlen
• Jackson Nicolau
• Chris Sheppard
• Nick Slyney

Casualties

2008 Injuries

Player	Injury	Injured Round	Returned
Ashley Graham	Shoulder	Round 19	Round 21
Matthew Bowen	Knee	Round 3	Round 6
Anthony Watts	Shoulder	Round 6	Round 9
Luke O'Donnell	Hip	Round 6	Round 9
Johnathan Thurston	Knee	Round 18	Round 23
Shane Tronc	Shoulder/Neck	Round 5	Round 10
Travis Burns	Shoulder	Round 9	Round 11
Sione Faumuina	Hernia	Round ?	Round 13
Matthew Scott	Ankle	Round ?	Round 23
Steve Southern	Shoulder	Round 12	Round 16
Anthony Watts	Ankle	Round 20	?
Carl Webb	Ankle	Round 16	Round 20
Matthew Bowen	Knee	Round 8	Round 1, 2009
Matthew Bartlett	Shoulder	Round 16	Indefinite
Justin Smith	Shoulder	Round 12	Indefinite
Jacob Lillyman	Shoulder	Round 15	Out For Season.
Steve Southern	Various Injuries	Round 24	Round 26

Suspensions

2008 Suspensions

Player	Reason	Length of suspension	Eligible For Comeback
Ashley Graham	Careless high tackle	1 Match	Round 4
Travis Burns	?	1 Match	Round 5
Travis Burns	Grade 1 Dangerous Throw Grade 2 Careless High Tackle	4 Matches	Round 18
Jacob Lillyman	Grade One Dangerous Throw	2 Matches	Round 10
Luke O'Donnell	Contrary Conduct 2 x Striking	7 Matches	Round 21

Player Movement

Squad changes from 2007 season.

Gains

Name	From	Details
Travis Burns	Manly Sea Eagles	2008–2010
Ben Harris	Bradford Bulls	2008–20091
Luke Millwood	Newtown Jets	2008 -
Anthony Perkins	Melbourne Storm	2008–2009
Dayne Weston	Cronulla Sharks	2008–2009
John Williams	Sydney Roosters	2008–2010

(1) Harris re-signed in May 2008, extending his contract until the end of 2011

Losses

Name	Club Going To	Details
Brenton Bowen	Gold Coast Titans	2008–2009
Paul Bowman	-	Retired
Scott Minto	-	Retired
Jason Smith	-	Retired
Neil Sweeney	Newcastle Knights	2008

Pre Season Trial Matches

NRL Season 2008

Win/Loss For 2008

R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	R17	R18	R19	R20	R21	R22	R23	R24	R25	R26
L	L	L	W	W	W	L	L	L	L	B	L	L	L	L	L	B	L	L	L	L	W	L	L	W	L

Key: W=Win, L=Loss, B=Bye

Chronological Order of Events

Round	Details
Round 1 Week	Johnathan Thurston returned ahead of schedule following surgery to his shoulders to play against the Gold Coast Titans. Gold Coast 36 defeat North Queensland 18
Round 2 Week	North Queensland 10 lose to Wests Tigers 30. Ashley Graham is suspended for a carless high tackle.
Round 3 Week	Third consecutive loss. Matt Bowen injured his troublesome knee. He will be out for 2 rounds. Brisbane Broncos 36 defeat North Queensland 2. Travis Burns is suspended for 1 match.
Round 4 Week	Cowboys sign former assistant coach and current Canberra Raiders head coach Neil Henry to coach the team from 2009. Bulldogs star Willie Tonga signs a four-year deal with North Queensland. First win of the season. North Queensland 38 defeat Parramtta 14. Ashley Graham returns from suspension.
Round 5 Week	Cowboys' second win of the season. North Queensland 20 defeat St. George 16
Round 6 Week	Third win in a row. Matt Bowen returns scoring 3 tries. North Queensland 48 defeat. New Zealand Warriors 20. Anthony Watts injures his shoulder and will be out until Round 9. Luke O'Donnell injures his hip and will be out until Round 9.
Round 7 Week	North Queensland 10 lose to Melbourne Storm 12. Jacob Lillyman is suspended for 2 weeks for a Grade One dangerous throw.
Round 8 Week	Matt Bowen re-injures his knee. Cowboys succumb to South Sydney Rabbitohs who win their first match of the year. South Sydney 28 defeat North Queensland 24.
Round 9 Week	Johnathan Thurston and Carl Webb play for the Australian national team in the centenary test against New Zealand. Both players back up to play Cronulla. Travis Burns injures his shoulder and will be out for 2 weeks. Anthony Watts and Luke O'Donnell return from injury. North Queensland 18 lose to Cronulla 24.
Round 10 Week	Johnathan Thurston, Carl Webb and Jacob Lillyman miss the Round 10 clach against Manly because of State of Origin selection. Shane Tronc returns from shoulder injury. Manly 38 defeat North Queensland 6. Coach Graham Murray resigns the very next day.
Round 11 Week	Bye. Ian Millward is appointed head coach. Carl Webb extends his contract with the club. Cowboys' foundation player Paul Bowman is appointed assistant coach.
Round 12 Week	North Queensland lose in extra time to the Penrith Panthers in 18 - 19. Steve Southern and Justin Smith are both injured. Luke O'Donnell is sent off the field and is suspended for 7 weeks for Contrary Conduct and 2 striking charges.
Round 13 Week	Johnathan Thurston is out for the clash against the Wests Tigers due to Origin selection. Sione Faumuina returns after being out due a groin problem. Wests Tigers 40 defeat North Queensland 16. Travis Burns is placed on report and is suspended for 4 matches after being charged with a Grade 1 dangerous throw and a Grade 2 careless high tackle.
Round 14 Week	7th consecutive loss for the Cowboys. North Queensland 18 - Newcastle 30.
Round 15 Week	8th consecutive loss. Jacob Lillyman injures his shoulder which will end his season and career with the Cowboys. Matt Bowen is ruled out for the rest of the 2008 season and will undergo knee surgery. Melbourne 48 Cowboys 20.
Round 16 Week	Ray Cashmere is given permission by Cowboys CEO, Peter Parr, to test his worth in the European Super League. Johnathan Thurston is out for the clash against South Sydney due to Origin selection. Brandon Boor made his first grade debut after playing for the Cowboys' Under 20 side. Steve Southern returned after missing three matches due to injury. Sione Faumuina confirmed in an article with the Townsville Bulletin that this year would be his last with the club and it was unlikely Ben Vaeau and veteran Justin Smith would have their contracts renewed. Sam Bowie made his debut for the team following an injury cloud over Chris Sheppard. Carl Webb left the field limping and it was later announced that he had a serious ankle injury. 9th consecutive loss although led 28 - 4 at one stage. North Queensland 28 South Sydney 29.
Round 17 Week	Bye. Cowboys' sign Newtown Jets Five-Eighth, Luke Millwood. . It's confirmed that Carl Webb will be out for 4–6 weeks. Peter Parr confirmed that they are in the market for Sika Manu and Manase Manuokafoa. Sam Faust, Mark Henry, Keiron Lander and John Frith are yet to find out if they will be retained by the club. South Sydney Rabbitohs Prop/Second Rower Manase Manuokafoa signs a 3 year deal with the Cowboys. Sione Faumuina is involved in a single vehicle accident near the Lavarack Barracks in Townsville where he rolls his car and escapes unscathed. He left the scene and reported to police 10.5 hours later.
Round 18 Week	After the racial abuse Petero Civoniceva of the Penrith Panthers received against his team's clash against the Parramatta Eels, it is reported that Johnathan Thurston was also the victim of racial abuse from Parramatta supporters two years earlier. . Sione Faumuina avoids being charged by Townsville Police following his car accident, where he left the scene. He has been told he risks being sacked if he doesn't adhere to strict new behaviour guidelines. . Billy Johnstone once again joins the club as the Strength and Conditioning coach from 2009 for 3 years following his release from the Gold Coast Titans. . 10th straight loss equallying worst losing streak of all time. New Zealand 24 Cowboys 14. It was reported the next day that Thurston has been plagued with a Hernia injury which he received in a training session prior to Origin 2.
Round 19 Week	It is reported that Steve Southern is putting off surgery in a bid to break the clubs losing streak. . Luke Harlen has been named in the extended squad for Friday nights game. If he isn't omitted, it will be his debut for the club. Johnathan Thurston is ruled out for 3 to 4 weeks after tearing knee cartilage in the previous round. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday (16/07/08). Thurston's surgery was a success and he began rehab the next day. 11th consecutive loss which surpasses the 10 game streak recorded in 1999. North Queensland 18 Brisbane 32
Round 20 Week	Ashley Graham, Ben Harris and Anthony Watts are all injured during the Round 19 clash against Brisbane. Clint Amos re-joins the Cowboys on a two-year deal after originally leaving the club for the Gold Coast Titans.Carl Webb is hoping to return from injury for the clash against Parramatta. . Mark Henry re-signs with the club for two more years. . Mitchell Achurch (Wests Tigers) and James Tamou (Roosters) sign two-year deals with the club, starting in 2009. . Anthony Watts has been dropped. Former Cowboy George Gatis has been named on the interchange. Ashley Graham will miss the game due to shoulder injury. Justin Smith reveals that his NRL career is over after failing to overcome a shoulder injury. . Salford City Reds confirm that Ray Cashmere that has signed with the club. . 12th consecutive loss. Parramatta 16 North Queensland 4
Round 21 Week	Luke O'Donnell is scheduled to make his return following a 7 match suspension. Johnathan Thurston, Carl Webb and Luke O'Donnell are selected in the preliminary squad for the Australian World Cup team. Anthony Watts is ruled out due to ankle injury. 19 year old Prop Ron Alovili signs a three-year deal with the cowboys, beginning in 2009. . 13th consecutive loss. North Queensland 20 Sydney Roosters 32.
Round 22 Week	4th win of the season ending 13 game losing streak. Bulldogs 12 Cowboys 36. Johnathan Thurston and former Cowboy Dale Shearer are named in the Indigenous Team of the Century.
Round 23 Week	Loss. Cowboys 20 Titans 26. Johnathan Thurston makes his return following knee surgery.
Round 24 Week	Cowboys sign Melbourne Storm's Antonio Kaufusi to a three-year deal. Sione Faumuina signs with the Castleford Tigers. New Zealand Warriors Toyota Cup star Steve Rapira, brother of Sam Rapira signs a two-year deal. Loss. Newcastle 38 Cowboys 24
Round 25 Week	Cowboys sign Steve Renouf's nephew Donald Malone. Cowboys beat Canberra 22 - 10. Ray Cashmere makes the most metres of any forward in the season with 207.
Round 26 Week	Mark Henry signs with Salford City Reds. Cowboys lose to Cronulla 28 - 22. Finish 15th for the season.

Statistics

Updated: 7 September 2008

Name	P	T	G	FG	Pts
Daniel Abraham	5 (1)	1	0	0	4
Matthew Bartlett	6 (6)	1	0	0	4
Scott Bolton	4 (2)	0	0	0	0
Matthew Bowen	6	3	0	0	12
Sam Bowie	1 (1)	0	0	0	0
Brandon Boor	2	0	0	0	0
Travis Burns	14 (2)	3	0	0	12
Greg Byrnes	3 (3)	0	0	0	0
Ray Cashmere	24 (6)	3	0	0	12
David Faiumu	4 (4)	0	0	0	0
Ben Farrar	16 (7)	3	0	0	12
Sione Faumuina	15 (2)	1	0	0	4
Sam Faust	11 (8)	0	0	0	0
George Gatis	1	0	0	0	0
Obe Geia	2	0	0	0	0
Ashley Graham	22	10	0/1	0	40
Luke Harlen	5 (5)	0	0	0	0
Ben Harris	24	7	0	0	28
Mark Henry	23	5	0	0	20
Jacob Lillyman	11 (3)	1	0	0	4
Jackson Nicolau	1	0	0	0	0
Luke O'Donnell	15	5	0	0	20
Aaron Payne	24	1	0	0	4
Matthew Scott	5 (4)	1	0	0	4
Chris Sheppard	1	0	0	0	0
Nick Slyney	3 (2)	1	0	0	4
Justin Smith	11 (1)	3	0	0	12
Steve Southern	18	2	0	0	8
Johnathan Thurston	17	3	40/50	0	94
Shane Tronc	17 (8)	2	0	0	8
Ben Vaeau	11 (8)	1	0	0	4
Anthony Watts	12 (6)	2	0	0	8
Carl Webb	21 (1)	6	0	0	24
Dayne Weston	19 (12)	2	0	0	8
John Williams	20	10	28/38	0	96
Ty Williams	13	7	0	0	28
		82	68/79	0	470

• Appearances in brackets () denote games off interchange/repl bench
• Key: P = Played, T = Tries, G = Goals, FG = Field Goals, Pts = Points

Season Records

Updated: 7 September 2008

Title	Top 3	Amount
Most Points	John Williams Johnathan Thurston Ashley Graham	96 94 40
Most Tries	John Williams Ashley Graham Ben Harris Ty Williams Carl Webb	10 10 7 7 6
Most Appearances	Ray Cashmere Aaron Payne Ben Harris	24 24 24

References

North Queensland Cowboys Est. 1995 in Townsville, Queensland The Club History Records Players Coaches Honours Representatives Home Grounds 1300SMILES Stadium Important Figures Paul Bowman Matt Bowen Johnathan Thurston League ARL SL NRL Seasons (18) 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Other Competitions Present Holden Cup Past New South Wales Cup Affiliations Mackay Cutters Northern Pride North Queensland Young Guns

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